Thriller author Toni LaRue shares her journey from urban fiction to becoming an NBCC-nominated author with several number one releases on Amazon. She discusses her meticulous character development process, representation challenges for Black thriller writers, and how she approaches trauma and emotional depth in her stories.

• NBCC-nominated thriller author with 10+ novels and multiple #1 Amazon releases
• Discovered thriller writing after reading Lisa Gardner's "The Other Daughter" during a graveyard shift
• Creates detailed character profiles before writing, including birthdays, traits, and preferences
• Works full-time with unhoused populations while maintaining her writing career
• "Juneteenth" explores themes of racial injustice and vigilante justice through emotional storytelling
• Emphasizes the importance of Black representation in thriller genres
• Uses trauma in her stories to humanize characters rather than glorify violence
• Upcoming novel "Safe House" features a domestic abuse survivor encountering serial killers
• Co-writing a Christmas horror anthology with Tanisha Stewart
• Believes thrillers offer realistic perspectives on life's uncertainties and unresolved situations

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Keira N James, bestselling indie thriller author, joins us to discuss her journey from a small town in Georgia to becoming a powerful voice in the thriller genre with 15 books under her belt.

• Drawing inspiration from real-life experiences to create what she calls "exaggerated realities"
• Transition from urban fiction to thriller writing after finding her voice in the "dark side of fiction"
• Finding success with bestsellers like "The Grave Mistake" and the spicy short story collection "Embodied"
• Challenging stereotypes about Black women and creating morally ambiguous characters readers can't help but root for
• Using writing as therapy to process personal experiences, especially in her military thriller "Love and War"
• Being part of "Black Women Who Write Thrillers" collective creating space for diverse voices in the genre
• Upcoming release of psychological novella "Orchid" on October 3rd
• Participating in the Black Book Bash in Jacksonville, Florida with her pen sisters

Follow Keira N James on Facebook at Keira N James and on Instagram, Threads, and TikTok @TheKeiraNJames.

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Louisiana author Lakisha Burkett shares her journey from avid reader to published writer, revealing how personal experiences and her grandmother's stories shape her emotionally charged novels.

• Writing journey began with husband's support, who bought her first book cover
• Draws story inspiration from real-life experiences and family stories
• "Dear Diary" inspired by grandmother's stories, written in just one month
• Creates realistic endings that don't always resolve happily
• Book "Everybody Ain't Your Friend" based on a real toxic friendship
• Balances motherhood, working from home, and writing at her own pace
• Upcoming book "Let You Down" explores difficult choices when dreams clash with family obligations
• Writes part-time but aspires to potentially become a full-time author
• Husband is also writing a book series

Find Lakisha Burkett on Instagram at there_go_keisha, on TikTok as Arthur Lakisha Burkett, and on Facebook as LaKeisha Burton.

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